Pele, the Brazilian widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, has fired a warning to the L.A. Galaxy's David Beckham, warning him that achieving glory in MLS will be far tougher than many think. Beckham has repeatedly stated that his intention in coming to America is to raise the profile of soccer in the U.S. It's plain for anyone to see that he's already raised its visibility, but Pele warns that the former England captain must focus less on being a celebrity and more on being a soccer player to achieve his goal.

"David Beckham is more of a pop star than a player," he said. "From my experience with New York Cosmos, I would advise him to be very well prepared for the matches. I know the level of play in the league. It is well balanced, and the spectators will demand a lot from him as their star player. But when there's no training or practice, then he can stroll through Hollywood."

Beckham has yet to be given significant playing time with the Galaxy after suffering an injury to his left ankle six weeks ago while playing for England. He made a 15-minute appearance as a substitute for the Galaxy against Chelsea of English Premier League but has missed the Galaxy's last two games and is likely to sit out Tuesday's SuperLiga match against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park.